[July 23, 2023] Over many years, I slowly discovered, to my amazement, that the U.S. military has recruited and trained many stupid people. Several progressive liberals I know would say, “Of course, the military attracts stupid people.” But their simplistic thinking is way off base. Here is my take on the Theory of Stupidity that could explain some of my long-held beliefs.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian during the Nazi era. For his works, I labeled him a “Hero to all free people” in 2016 (see link here). When I wrote the article, I was unaware of his Theory of Stupidity, which is the point of today’s blog.
“Against stupidity, we have no defense. Neither protests nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved — indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied. In fact, they can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make them aggressive. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.” [emphasis mine]
What I really like about Bonhoeffer’s ideas, as succinctly stated in the preceding paragraph, is that this explains why I could not progress with some people on important ideas they never could grasp. It mattered not how intelligent, educated, hardworking, dedicated, or caring that person was; some people could not see some of the essential ideas in the military.
In 2017, Corinne Purtill, professor of economic history at Berkeley, published an essay outlining the laws of stupidity. He believed that stupid people possess several identifying traits: they are irrational and cause problems for others without apparent benefit to themselves, lowering society’s total well-being. He further said that the only way a society can avoid being crushed by the burden of its idiots is if the non-stupid work even harder to offset the losses of their stupid brethren.
Here are Cipolla’s five basic laws of human stupidity (thanks to Quartz for this summary):
- Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
- The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
- A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or a group of persons while deriving no gain and possibly incurring losses.
- Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances dealing or associating with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
- A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person. And its corollary: A stupid person is more dangerous than a bandit.
The conclusion. We can do nothing about the stupid. The difference between societies that collapse under the weight of their stupid citizens and those who transcend them is the makeup of the non-stupid. Those progressing despite their stupid possess a high proportion of people acting intelligently, those who counterbalance the stupid’s losses by bringing about gains for themselves and their fellows.
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The responses here track perfectly with Bonhoeffer’s theory. Bonhoeffer was writing , from a prison camp, of the German populace that became fanatical with Hitler’s rants and rise to power and how the citizens fell into the group mindset. Trump, like Hitler, talks of minorities and immigrants diluting and infecting the American Way. Trump is really talking to white America the same way Hitler spoke of Germany’s problems blaming Jews and other non-Aryan minorities. Gen Satterfield left out that Bonhoeffer was a critic of Hitler and was hanged near the end of the war for conspiring with others to assassinate him. The second attempt on Trump was a former follower who probably was able to look behind the curtain and see beyond this false prophet
I find that we have too many stupid people that are everywhere and in every workplace across the nation. But they are not evenly spread. There are most of the stupid people on the East and West coast of America. Oh, I’ll just call them like they are, stupid liberals (a mental disease).
Pfft, nailed it.
Great article and good thinking by Bonheoffer.
Sounds like Gen. Satterfield is describing Democrats.
Ack, nearly chocked on my coffee when I read this. Yes, I must admit you are right. The US Democrat party has gone full stupid. There is no reasoning with them at all. I’m sure Dr. Jordan Peterson has something to say on this subject and can give us a better psychological explanation. Oh, great article and website, Gen. Satterfield. Loving every day reading your articles.
Excellent advice my friend
“The conclusion. We can do nothing about the stupid. The difference between societies that collapse under the weight of their stupid citizens and those who transcend them is the makeup of the non-stupid. ” — Gen. Satterfield nailed it with this comment. Just produce more non-stupid people and out work them on every front. Trying to reason with them, embarrass them, complain about them, or whatever, that will NOT work.
mainer, correct. And, of course, nothing comes easy and outworking the crazies is hard because you’ve got to outwork them 2 to 1 to gain traction because they are not just neutral but very destructive.
“Against stupidity, we have no defense. ” Great quote by Bonhoeffer.
#2 The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
Explains alot. In particular explains communists.
Excellent, Gen. Satterfield. That is one thing I do want to avoid, just like I want to avoid my stupid liberal neighbors. They are such a bore.
Yeah, I hear ya.
Don’t ya just love this blog by Gen. Satterfield? I love it. Every day is something new that I did not know and I’ve been around for a while now. And, I’ve been a long time reader of this leadership website by Gen. Satterfield. Good man! Also, for those new here and are correctly reading these comments, then get yourself a copy of his books:
“55 Rules for a Good Life”
“Our Longest Year in Iraq”
Both will make you appreciate yourself, your family, and community.
Good article, never heard of the Theory of Stupidity before and ….. well ….. I like it.
Yep, explains both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the tee. I try to teach my kids in HS to not be stupid. This theory is something I’ve always used as an example of what not to be when you grow up.
.. good point, Mr. TJ. Thanks. ❤ … and some people say teachers are dumb. Obviously not all.
ha ha ha…………… good one, Mr. Asper. Nearly spit out my coffee when I read Kammmaaaallllllaaaaaa Harris.
Agreed!
Same here, Watson. 😉